Constant FREEZES and no infections

[Gary VanderMolen]

As your example proves, for the average user, third party firewalls and
anti-malware programs cause more problems than they solve.

 

[Questor]

--->

As your example proves, for the average user, third party firewalls and
anti-malware programs cause more problems than they solve.

Making a broad statement like that is not really a good idea. I've used
ZA for years from Win98 to XP Pro and haven't had one ripple of problem.
Other third party programs perform just fine on my machines. Once in
a while, a good program throws a clunker and needs to be fine-tuned.
That's all.

Questor

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

You probably have an above average tolerance for nuisance alarms.
I tried ZA once, and was frustrated by all the benign stuff it alarmed on.
Yes, you can tell it to ignore certain apps, but that takes patience
and a learning curve. Most newbies have no clue as to whether they
should approve a specific SVCHOST process or not.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

As your example proves, for the average user, third party firewalls and
anti-malware programs cause more problems than they solve.

One swallow does not a summer make.

 

[Questor]

--->

You probably have an above average tolerance for nuisance alarms.
I tried ZA once, and was frustrated by all the benign stuff it alarmed on.
Yes, you can tell it to ignore certain apps, but that takes patience
and a learning curve. Most newbies have no clue as to whether they
should approve a specific SVCHOST process or not.

But all those "benign alarms" is how ZA 'learns' what to block or allow
through. If you have Process Explorer on your system when one of those
alerts pops up that you aren't sure of go ahead and deny access, start
PE and see what it does. Hovering over the process in PE will show you
what the process actually does and what DLLs/EXEs are used. If it is an
OK process, then go back to ZA's Programs panel and allow it through.

I agree that it may intimidate some, but once done a couple of times it
becomes second nature.

Questor

 

[I.C. Greenfields]

ZoneAlarm traps programs (notably web browsers and email clients) by
holding them in the 'system' area which prevents 'user' programs such as
Task Manager and Process Explorer from killing them. In the ZA forum,
there are quite a few posts pertaining to this particular bug. They
appear to be working on it, but haven't come up with a solution yet.

Questor

I uninstalled ZoneAlarm but don't like the idea of anything onboard phoning
home, even if it's benign. I like to control and know what's going out so
to speak.

 

[I.C. Greenfields]

--->

Making a broad statement like that is not really a good idea. I've used
ZA for years from Win98 to XP Pro and haven't had one ripple of problem.
Other third party programs perform just fine on my machines. Once in a
while, a good program throws a clunker and needs to be fine-tuned. That's
all.

Questor

I've used ZoneAlarm since W98 also, with never a problem. I don't like not
knowing what's accessing the net. This really sucks.

 

[I.C. Greenfields]

You probably have an above average tolerance for nuisance alarms.
I tried ZA once, and was frustrated by all the benign stuff it alarmed on.
Yes, you can tell it to ignore certain apps, but that takes patience
and a learning curve. Most newbies have no clue as to whether they
should approve a specific SVCHOST process or not.
~~~~~~~~~~

I never had ZoneAlarm ask about SVCHOST processes. And you can turn the
*alerts* off. It'll just ask when something onboard is trying to access the
net. Once you give the program permission or not, it doesn't ask again.
Very easy to use software.

 

[I.C. Greenfields]

Inline:

If you have unwanted outgoing connections then your system is
already compromised.

It's compromised by WMP for example?

Any outbound connections eminating from WMP are benign (not
malicious). It's the malicious malware you should be cncerned about.


I know they are but don't want anything accessing the bet without
permission. I wan to know what's going on. (Scroll down)

A resident Trojan virus can easily disable
the outgoing portion of the firewall. The primary wall of defense
should be prevention of incoming viruses and malware.

Please recommend software that monitors connections both ways that works
with Vista.

Windows Firewall in Vista can be configured to monitor outbound
connections, should you be so inclined. See
http://www.vistastic.com/2007/03/09/windows-firewall-enable-outbound-filtering

*HOW? There's no choice in the Firewall window that opens. HOW and WERE is
the place you make that change?

It says "* Change Outbound connections from Allow (default) to Block" but
WHERE is the place where the change is made?

----------------------------------------
I bet you didn't know that Microsoft Windows Vista includes a two-way
firewall.

Unfortunately, the outbound filtering has been disabled. I'm not quite sure
why Microsoft made this decision but from a security point of view it would
have made perfect sense to have it enabled by default. I suspect it's due to
Microsoft not wanting to frustrate customers when their internet dependent
applications suddenly stopped working.
Windows Vista Firewall: How To Turn On Outbound Filtering

* Click the Start Button (Windows Orb)
* In the search bar type "wf.msc" and press the Enter key
* Click the Windows Firewall Properties link
* Change Outbound connections from Allow (default) to Block

From the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security properties you can also
configure additional rules for incoming as well as outbound connections.

 

[I.C. Greenfields]

I used to recommend ZA because of its outward protection, I've more
recently become convinced that outward protection is an illusion. Once
one of the nasties gets into your computer, it can essentially do
whatever it wants, including circumventing the firewall. So the extra
protection that a firewall that monitors outbound traffic provides is
more apparent than real.

It blocks programs like WMP and other legitimate programs we don't want
accessing the net to not access it. Some of us want to chose what "gets out"
and what doesn't. And the this info doesn't work since there is nowhere to
make such a change there. No buttons. Nowhere to choose. Configure it -
HOW?

http://www.vistastic.com/2007/03/09/windows-firewall-enable-outbound-filtering/
I bet you didn't know that Microsoft Windows Vista includes a two-way
firewall.

Unfortunately, the outbound filtering has been disabled. I'm not quite sure
why Microsoft made this decision but from a security point of view it would
have made perfect sense to have it enabled by default. I suspect it's due to
Microsoft not wanting to frustrate customers when their internet dependent
applications suddenly stopped working.
Windows Vista Firewall: How To Turn On Outbound Filtering

* Click the Start Button (Windows Orb)
* In the search bar type "wf.msc" and press the Enter key
* Click the Windows Firewall Properties link
* Change Outbound connections from Allow (default) to Block

From the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security properties you can also
configure additional rules for incoming as well as outbound connections.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

It blocks programs like WMP and other legitimate programs we don't want
accessing the net to not access it. Some of us want to chose what "gets out"
and what doesn't. And the this info doesn't work since there is nowhere to
make such a change there. No buttons. Nowhere to choose. Configure it -
HOW?

http://www.vistastic.com/2007/03/09/windows-firewall-enable-outbound-filtering/
I bet you didn't know that Microsoft Windows Vista includes a two-way
firewall.

Sorry, you lose your bet.

 

[Questor]

--->

Inline:



Any outbound connections eminating from WMP are benign (not
malicious). It's the malicious malware you should be cncerned about.


I know they are but don't want anything accessing the bet without
permission. I wan to know what's going on. (Scroll down)



Windows Firewall in Vista can be configured to monitor outbound
connections, should you be so inclined. See
http://www.vistastic.com/2007/03/09/windows-firewall-enable-outbound-filtering


*HOW? There's no choice in the Firewall window that opens. HOW and WERE
is the place you make that change?

It says "* Change Outbound connections from Allow (default) to Block"
but WHERE is the place where the change is made?

----------------------------------------
I bet you didn't know that Microsoft Windows Vista includes a two-way
firewall.

Unfortunately, the outbound filtering has been disabled. I'm not quite
sure why Microsoft made this decision but from a security point of view
it would have made perfect sense to have it enabled by default. I
suspect it's due to Microsoft not wanting to frustrate customers when
their internet dependent applications suddenly stopped working.
Windows Vista Firewall: How To Turn On Outbound Filtering

* Click the Start Button (Windows Orb)
* In the search bar type "wf.msc" and press the Enter key
* Click the Windows Firewall Properties link
* Change Outbound connections from Allow (default) to Block

From the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security properties you can
also configure additional rules for incoming as well as outbound
connections.

wf.msc brings up a totally different applet than Windows Firewall in the
Control Panel. The wf.msc DOES have an area where you can configure
outgoing traffic.

Questor

 

[Questor]

--->

You don't have a clue.
ZA sucks an egg.

The Windows Firewall is just as good.

Course, you think IE7 can't block ads !
Dipshoot !

What do you think is going out ?
Are you stopping a virus from calling out ?
How did you get the virus ?
Are you that friggen stupid to think you will stop it on the way out ?
LOL.

Or do you think it will keep porn from escaping ?
That's it !

Don't worry, your porn likes you now.

My goodness! Where did you come from? Why did you feel that you had to
say such things here in our newsgroup. What a troll.

Questor

 

[MICHAEL]

You probably have an above average tolerance for nuisance alarms.
I tried ZA once, and was frustrated by all the benign stuff it alarmed on.
Yes, you can tell it to ignore certain apps, but that takes patience
and a learning curve. Most newbies have no clue as to whether they
should approve a specific SVCHOST process or not.

Sort of like Vista's UAC, huh?



-Michael

 

[Questor]

--->

So, you agree with the idiot that IE7 can't block ads ?
He said Can't.

Well, I sure can, and millions of others can.
It is a very old method.

But he jumps on the firedfox bandwagon, just like ever other "put
firedfox buttons on your webpage" puke does.

Its is so devoid of thought process, it makes me wretch.

Hey....I have a Ford....you should too.
Chevies crash into trees and are dangerous !

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ There is your firedfox fanatic.

Your automobile analogy is very apt. You are railing FOR a particular
car and another is railing FOR a different car. It is not a winnable
situation

Each person has to decide what they want on their computers. Once that
decision is made, and they like what they've done, then no amount of
preaching FOR or AGAINST a particular program is going to change their
minds. Decrying profanely every decision made by others while pushing
YOUR favorite program just make yourself look bad.

Put down your poison pen for a minute and try to see the other side of
the gap. SANE arguments FOR or AGAINST any application might just be
met with more than a healthy dose of skepticism.

Questor

 

[Questor]

--->

--->

Your automobile analogy is very apt. You are railing FOR a particular
car and another is railing FOR a different car. It is not a winnable
situation

Each person has to decide what they want on their computers. Once that
decision is made, and they like what they've done, then no amount of
preaching FOR or AGAINST a particular program is going to change their
minds. Decrying profanely every decision made by others while pushing
YOUR favorite program just make yourself look bad.

Put down your poison pen for a minute and try to see the other side of
the gap. SANE arguments FOR or AGAINST any application might just be
met with more than a healthy dose of skepticism.

Questor

And, in case you are interested, I use BOTH IE7 and FF3. In some cases,
IE is the only browser that will access certain sites (most notably, my
military health information and VA sites). Both programs have a lot to
offer their users. FF has add-ons (DownThemAll, FlashGot) that let me
download, scan for viruses, and store videos from Youtube and the like.
So far, I haven't found an add-on for IE that will let me to the same.
Do you have a URL for an IE add-on that will do the same?

Questor

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

I had no trouble following the instructions in that link.
At what point can't you proceed?

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Windows Firewall outbound filtering is disabled by default because:
a) Most users don't care to be notified about benign outbound
connections, such as those from WMP.
b) If you have malicious outbound connections, then you have
a resident Trojan virus, and it's too late to stop it. Probably the
first thing the virus does is turn off outbound blocks and alarms,
so you won't know what it is doing.

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Sort of like Vista's UAC, huh?

Think of it as UAC version 1.0.
UAC has been tamed very nicely in Windows 7.

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Please remove microsoft.public.windows.vista.mail from any discussion about browsers.
Thank you.